Did you know that trees positioned strategically can save up to 25% of a household’s energy consumption? If not, you would do well to remember that landscaping may be your best long-term investment for bringing down your cooling and heating costs. So, if you are struggling with rising power bills, it’s time to consider landscaping tips for energy-efficient homes.

Consider the climate

Due to its large size, different regions in the state of Texas have different climates, which could vary from humid in the east to arid in the west. Since landscaping strategies for conserving energy depend on the region you live in, you need to consider the climate and plan accordingly. For example, people living in hot-arid regions should provide shade to cool walls, roofs, and windows; use evapotranspiration by plants around the home to cool the surrounding air; and channel summer winds towards homes etc. However, people living in hot-humid zones should plan differently and maximize summer shade with trees that permit penetration of winter sun even with a low-angle; allow summer breeze to get easy access to homes; and avoid having planting beds near homes if they need frequent watering.

Check your microclimate

Microclimate is the climate immediately adjacent to your home. The microclimate of your home may be more shady, sunny, windy, rainy, moist, or dry than average local conditions. For example, if your home is positioned on a sunny southern slope, it may boast of a warm microclimate, even when you stay in a cool region. So, assessing your microclimate is crucial to determine the type of plants that may or may not grow in that particular location.

Design and orientation of your home

If you are building a new home, ensure that it’s well-designed and well-oriented so that it rejects overhead summer sun, allows low-angle winter sun, and minimizes the winter winds’ cooling effect. You should also consider your location’s exposure to sun, water, wind etc, and note the proximity and location of nearby buildings, trees, water bodies, fences, and pavements, while assessing their probable climatic effects.

In case your home is already built, consider shading and wind protection to bring down your electric bills.

Shading and wind protection

Before planting trees and shrubs for shade, assess your exact needs. If you need warm sunlight during the winter while enjoying shade in the summer, opting for deciduous trees that shed their leaves in the winter would be a good idea. However, for enjoying a year-round shade, lush evergreens would be the ideal choice. You should avoid planting dense foliage in close proximity to your home as such a step may cause moisture-control problems.

You can use shrubs and trees with low crowns to offer you windbreaks that would block winds close to the ground. Proper landscaping will not only let you enjoy excellent wind protection, but also reduce your heating costs considerably. Though the most common category of windbreak employs shrubs and evergreen trees planted to the northwest and north of a home, you may even use bushes and shrubs along with a fence, wall, or earth berm (man-made or natural walls or raised regions of soil) that can redirect or lift the wind over your home.

So, use these tips to make your home energy-efficient, thus decreasing your power costs.

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